Kate Keogh, the daughter of a former school dinner lady, has taken TikTok by storm by sharing simple, nostalgic recipes for classic school dinner treats. Her mother, who worked as a school kitchen assistant, possesses "insider recipes" that have captivated social media users and brought back a flood of childhood memories for many.

One of the recipes that went viral is for the beloved school sponge cake, often served with pink custard. Kate showcased a slice of the delicious-looking, sprinkle-topped sponge, noting how it instantly evokes memories of eagerly queuing up for a slab of this highlight of school dinnertime. The video, posted under the username @kate_keo, garnered over 425,000 views, with users praising the recipe and expressing their nostalgia. Although her mother recalled that in her time, only rice pudding and tapioca were common school puddings, she still perfectly remembered how to make this iconic sponge.

For those eager to recreate this retro cake, the recipe shared by Kate's mum is straightforward. For the sponge, you will need 280g unsalted butter, 280g golden caster sugar, 280g self-raising flour, 5 eggs, and 2 tsp Madagascan vanilla extract. The method involves mixing butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy, adding eggs and vanilla essence, then sieving in the self-raising flour and mixing all ingredients. The mixture is then placed on a baking tray and baked for 30-35 minutes until golden. For the icing, combine 500g icing sugar with 5-6 tsp water until liquid, then turn over the cooled cake and ice the flat side before adding sprinkles. The classic pink custard is made by adding a splash of pink food colouring to a tub of custard, heating it in the microwave, and serving it alongside the cake.

Building on this success, Kate and her mum revealed another secret behind a nostalgic treat: the cornflake tart, also known as 'cracolet' or 'cracknel'. Kate described this crunchy, gooey dessert as another staple that instantly reminded viewers of their school days. This recipe proved even more popular, racking up a whopping 1.8 million views on TikTok, with comments flooding in from users who had been dreaming of this treat since their school years.

The cornflake tart recipe is equally simple. Ingredients include 60g butter, 4 tablespoons golden syrup, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, and cornflakes (quantity unspecified, as Kate didn't measure hers). To prepare, place the butter and golden syrup in a pan and melt them down on the hob. Remove the pan from the hob, add the cocoa powder, and mix well. Pour a large portion of cornflakes into a mixing bowl, then pour the chocolate mixture over the cornflakes and mix thoroughly. Finally, place the mixture into cake cases and leave for one hour to set.

These viral recipes not only provide a guide to making beloved school dinner classics but also serve as a delightful trip down memory lane for countless individuals, allowing them to relive a piece of their childhood through taste.